STAFFDr. John A. D. Ward graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and received his medical degree from Emory University in Atlanta. Dr. Ward completed five years of general surgery residency followed by two years of plastic surgery fellowship at the Medical College of Virginia. He is certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS) and is an active member in the American Society of Plastic Surgery. He is also a fellow of the American College of Surgeons. Dr. Ward has been in private practice in Phoenix for over 20 years. Mary Thieme is Dr. Ward's patient coordinator for office scheduling. She has over 25 years experience in plastic surgery. Mary assists with pre and post-operative patient care and education. She also has a background in skin care and works closely with Dr. Ward's aesthetician.

TRAVEL

Information For Out Of Town Patients

Patients frequently visit our practice from out of state. We make every effort to make your stay as comfortable as possible. Here are some helpful suggestions to maximize your comfort and minimize your time away from home.

We will require that you complete a general office information sheet and a history and physical sheet prior to your office appointment. It is important to include if you are a smoker and your use of medications prescribed as well as over the counter and herbal products. Some surgeries such as a facelift Dr. Ward requires you to stop smoking at least 2-3 weeks prior to the surgery. We will review your use of medications and evaluate usage before surgery. PLEASE NO ASPIRIN OR ASPIRIN PRODUCTS at least two weeks prior to surgery. Patients 35 and older are required to have a mammogram prior to breast surgery.

PATIENT INFORMATION FORM

For your convenience, we have arranged for special guest rates with nice and reasonable hotels close to our office and surgical facilities.

Sending a recent photo of the patient is very helpful. Dr Ward can then have an idea of how he will best be able to help you when you arrive for the office consultation.

Arriving By Air Via Sky Harbor Airport

Main office located at 10910 N Tatum Blvd., Suite 100, Phoenix, AZ. A 15 minute drive from Sky Harbor Airport. See MapQuest for driving directions. Many luxury hotels are located near the office. Please inquire about over-night stay with our receptionist.

PHILOSOPHYOur goal is to provide you with personalized care and attention. Dr. Ward will spend time with you to diagnose your problem and determine the proper treatment, and will make every effort to help you and answer all of your questions.Dr. Ward provides a lengthy, private consultation with each patient. He will explain all your options in detail, including risk, recovery time, and realistic outcome. A portfolio of patients both pre-and-post operation is reviewed with each patient. The office has a network of satisfied patients available to discuss your procedure and their experience. Dr. Ward’s practice is based primarily on referrals from other physicians and patients.Dr. Ward has been in private practice in Phoenix, Arizona since 1986.

BREAST PHILOSOPHY

"My philosophy for breast augmentation surgery is to provide you with a successful, safe operation that meets or exceeds your expectations. I truly enjoy performing plastic surgery operations and take pride in your results. Patients often refer to me as a “perfectionist” and I strive to keep this reputation with all my surgeries. "In my practice I like to talk with you in detail in our cosmetic consultation room about the surgery. Afterwards you are shown to an exam room where we make an evaluation of your chest size and discuss your choice of placement of the implant. I have you try several implant sizes in front of a mirror to determine the correct implant size and type. In my practice I keep an inventory of all implants so you try on the exact implant. With this approach I rarely have a patient require another surgery because of size. "I truly believe in scar minimization with most often placing the incision in the natural fold of the breast and/or underneath the arm. I personally prefer smooth - walled, moderate profile saline implants because they look and feel natural and provide less ripples and ridges. They are also the least expensive breast implant but in my practice have been the most durable. I also have extensive experience with saline textured (tear drop) implants and I’m happy to provide them upon request. Silicone implants can also be inserted on those candidates that have been in the FDA study. In my twenty years of practice, I have performed thousands of breast augmentation surgeries. My practice is based on patient referrals, therefore it is important for me to give you the best quality of breast surgery followed by comprehensive post operative care. I take my own calls for my patients 24 hours seven days a week. All breast surgeries in my office are seen afterwards at one, two, and six weeks, as well as a yearly check-up with no additional cost to the patient."

PROCEDURES

BREAST PROCEDURES

• Breast AugmentationDr. Ward routinely performs Breast augmentation surgery. Dr. Ward uses Breast implants to enlarge and shape the Breast. Most women choose to have Breast augmentation because of the following: To restore their natural Breast volume which may have decreased during pregnancy. They are bothered by feeling that their Breasts are too small. Aging has caused the Breast to have become smaller and lost firmness. Dresses that fit around the hips are often too large at the bust line. As a part of your personal consultation Dr. Ward will determine if you are a candidate for Breast augmentation surgery. Placement of saline (salt water) implants and/or silicone gel implants will be considered. To place the implant a small incision is made underneath the Breast or in the underarm area. Dr. Ward’s incisions are short approximately 1 inch in length. During your exam Dr. Ward will suggest whether the Breast implant is placed over or under the chest wall muscle.Dr. Ward has performed thousands of Breast augmentations and has used all types of implants. He prefers round smooth walled implants to give the most natural look and feel. Dr. Ward maintains a complete inventory of saline implants. During your consultation you can try on and model these implants helping to make your size choice as accurate as possible.

• Breast LiftBreast lift surgery is a surgical procedure performed by Dr. Ward for women who have sagging breasts. The goal of the operation is remove excess skin, elevate or move the nipple to a younger position and reduce the size of the areola (darker skin around the nipple). Dr. Ward makes an anchor shaped incision following the natural contour of the breast. When the excess skin has been removed, Dr. Ward relocates the nipple and the areola.BREAST LIFT W/ IMPLANTS: If your Breasts have lost volume breast implants can be inserted along with the Breast lift to improve both firmness and their size. At the initial consultation Dr. Ward will discuss the Breast lift procedure and will help you decide if implants are an option.

• Breast Implant ExchangeChoosing an experienced and qualified Board Certified Surgeon is the best way to avoid complications or problems down the road for your first breast implant surgery. However, problems can occur with breast implants that require patients to consider exchanging their implants. In many cases the patient has had the breast implants for many years and due to changes in their body size, age or pregnancy the breast implants need to be replaced. The most common reasons for replacement of breast implants are listed below:Implant Displacement - bottoming out of the implant below the original fold.Capsule Contracture - unnatural firmness of the breast due to formation of hard scar tissue around the implant.Implant Deflation - implant breaks causing deflation.Visible Implant - visible implant wrinkling often seen with thin skin women when implant are placed over the muscle.Breast Sag - changes in the amount of breast tissue and location of nipples often needing breast-lift with augmentation.Dr. Ward carefully examines your situation to identify whether your implants can be exchanged with a positive improvement. It is very important that you keep the your medical records which give the size of your original implants and or request them from your previous surgeon before making a consultation. By knowing what size you are before surgery you can determine if you want to go smaller or larger with your breast implants. If no medical records are available then he will offer the surgery at his surgical facility, which retains a variety of sizes of implants, and your implants will be weighed at the facility and an appropriate size will be chosen.

POST PREGNANCY ENHANCEMENT SURGERY

The after effects of pregnancy often send women to my office for tummy tucks. Tightening the excess skin will help you regain muscle tone and also flatten your abdomen. Many women never regain the muscle control and skin tone after repeated pregnancies and or cesarean sections. A tummy tuck operation is an excellent way of restoring your figure to its youthful appearance. Another common post pregnancy procedure is breast augmentation and breast lift to restore frequent loss of breast tissue and droopiness of breast after multiple pregnancies. Both of these surgeries are good options to restore your figure and enjoy the new you for many years.

Abdominoplasty

This has become a very popular procedure for women in the 25-40 age group who have finished having babies and want to enjoy the benefits of the tummy tuck for a long time and while realizing exercising will not tighten their tummies.

Commonly referred to as a tummy tuck….Abdominoplasty is a treatment

to tighten the abdominal muscles and tighten the skin. Scars are the trade off but Dr. Ward customizes the placement so they can be hidden even under tiny French cut bikini style panties and swimsuits. Liposuction for the upper abdomen is also performed to restore your waistline. This procedure leaves a scar that runs along the lower abdomen. Dr. Ward requires his patients to come the day before surgery and bring your swimsuit or panties so he can mark the exact location of your scar.

Mastopexy/Mastopexy-Augmentation

Breast Lift surgery is commonly performed on patients who desire to replace lost of fullness and the droopiness of the breast. The droopiness of the breast can be altered by insertion of implants or with just a breast lift. A breast lift or Mastopexy returns the nipple to its normal position. Fullness of the breast is accomplished by inserting small implants to improve the shape and youthful appearance of the breast. This procedure is referred to as a Mastopexy-Augmentation.

BODY PROCEDURES

• Tummy TuckAbdominoplasty, more commonly known as a “tummy tuck”, it is a surgical procedure done to remove excess skin and fat from the lower abdomen and also done to tighten the muscles of the abdominal wall. This surgery produces consistent dramatic results. If you are considering abdominoplasty, a consultation with Dr. Ward will help determine if you are a candidate and the results you can expect. In this consultation, Dr. Ward will examine your abdominal region and carefully assess the quality of your abdominal wall, muscles, and skin.

• Liposuction Liposuction is a procedure that helps with body contouring by removing unwanted fat from specific areas of the body. Dr. Ward regularly performs liposuction in the hips, thighs, buttocks and abdomen areas. However it can also be helpful in the upper arms, chin, knees, and neck areas. The tumescent technique provides patients with more precise results, smaller incisions, and a quicker recovery time. Liposuction is not a substitute for dieting and exercise. It is very helpful in removing localized areas of fat that do not respond to traditional weight loss methods. The best candidate for liposuction are normal weight people with firm, elastic skin who have pockets of excess fat in certain areas. At your initial consultation Dr. Ward will evaluate your body fat condition and use his best surgical judgment to determine if you are a candidate for this procedure.

• Body Lift/Belt LipectomyA body lift is a combination of several procedures that usually includes a tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) as well as a thigh and buttocks lift. The ideal candidate for this operation is an individual with excess skin along the lower abdomen and relaxed abdominal wall muscles with loose and wrinkled skin along the thighs and buttocks. This operation offers a dramatic effect on the patient’s body but is not intended as an operation for obesity. The scar required for the procedure is placed very low on the abdomen close to the public area, runs circumferentially along the lower back, just above the buttocks. The scar usually heals well and is well hidden by most underwear and swimwear.

Our office is open Monday - Thursday 9:00am to 5:00pm, and Fridays 9:00am to 3:00pm. Dr. Ward is available for consultations. A reminder call is made to all cosmetic patients the day before for confirmation of appointments. Site maps for office locations are listed below.